>>>> The USIHC "promotes its correct use as a competition and pleasure riding horse". What is "correct" use?
I think this tells us that the USIHC is largely composed of a bunch of snooty, pretentious and inflexible old biddies who are concerned that the Icelandic horse not be integrated into the various types of riding styles available, and that they not be trained using the wealth of good, gentle horsemanship techniques across the world, particularly in the USA. Because, when that happens it erodes the "exoticness" of the breed that allows those ego-driven individuals bask in, and that "exoticness" feeds their egos as the huge fish in this teensy-weensy pond. Thus, "correct" in that sense means what's best for the egos of the USIHC leaders, who seem to me to be to be Emperors who are wearing no clothes. ;) If you are wondering why I say this, I'm still remembering the article in the USIHC Quarterly (or was it "Tolt News"?) just a year or two ago that says you can't apply Natural Horsemanship to anything beyond a little basic groundwork with Icelandics, and after that you'll need a "special" Icelandic trainer. Ha - tell Sina that! And I still remember the horrible, mean-spirited and libelous bashing Liz Graves took on the Icelandic lists by those same folks for DARING to try to offer some help to beginner riders of Icelandics when she's NEVER been to Iceland or trained at Holar, and when she wasn't a "certified Icelandic trainer." Funny, I hadn't even met Liz at that time, but the vicious and untrue nature of the nasty attacks told me a lot more about the attackers than the attackee. Sheesh. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.13/1210 - Release Date: 1/5/2008 11:46 AM
